Shooting under investigation

Man was wanted on warrant

Posted: Friday, August 06, 2010

Joe Gammjoe.gamm@amarillo.com

A man shot by a Potter County deputy Tuesday after he killed an Oklahoma grandmother and attempted to abduct a woman and two children had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for a bad check he reportedly wrote at an Amarillo strip club, court records show.

Records show a warrant had been issued for Gary Don Carner, who allegedly passed a bad $500 check at The Jungle Gentleman's Club, 4542 Canyon Drive, on Dec. 17, 2008. The warrant included two counts against Carner, one alleging aggravated theft by check and another alleging issuance of a bad check.

When contacted Thursday, management at the club said it reserves the right to accept checks from only three regular customers. Carner was not one of the regular customers, management said. Employees at the club said they could not remember Carner being there.

Authorities said Carner's crime spree started about 8:55 p.m. Tuesday when he approached a woman airing a tire at a convenience store near Soncy Road and 34th Avenue, authorities said. Carner, 58, asked the woman if she needed a tire gauge, then put a handgun to her neck and tried to force her into his pickup. The woman escaped and fled into the convenience store, authorities said.

Minutes later Carner followed Sharrel Blankenbaker, 63, of Felt, Okla., and her three grandchildren into the Love's Country Store at 14701 W. Interstate 40. When they came out, Carner tried to grab Blankenbaker's 12-year-old granddaughter. Blankenbaker intervened and struggled with Carner, said Potter County Sheriff Robert Thomas. Carner shot Blankenbaker in the back. She later died at the hospital. Preliminary autopsy results released Thursday said she died of the single gunshot wound to the back fired by Carner's gun.

Moments after the shooting, Carner came across two 11-year-old girls who were walking along Indian Hills Road, near one of their homes. He stopped his pickup and forced one of the girls inside at gunpoint. The other ran for help, authorities said.

Minutes later, a Potter County deputy spotted the pickup near Blessen and Jim Line roads. The girl opened the passenger door and dove out of the moving pickup into a ditch, Thomas said.

Carner's spree came to a halt when he opened fire on Potter County Deputy Steve White, who returned fire, killing Carner, Thomas said.

A preliminary autopsy report on Carner indicated that he died of a single gunshot wound to his torso.

The Potter-Randall Special Crimes Unit Sgt. Kevin Dockery of the Potter-Randall Special Crimes Unit said the shooting remains under investigation.

Dockery said toxicology results from the autopsies are expected sometime next month.